Spindles, Goats, and The Cat Who Came Back

A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. -- Groucho Marx

It's been a pretty good week... and today, I had a visitor to top it off. Looks who's back:

I found him peering into the house before we left to go kayaking this morning. Persistence seems to be one of his virtues. He didn't stick around long... just long enough to look up at me to tell me to let him in. I don't know what he finds so fascinating about our house. Maybe he's done this enough times to other people that it's worked. Perhaps he has several "homes" in the neighbourhood, and he wants a bed in our house as well. I'm guessing he'll be back.. not sure when, but I'm pretty sure it's not the last we'll see of him.

I knitted a total of zero stitches last week. I had a bunch of stuff to get done this week, and by the time I got home in the evenings, I was too weary to risk dropping a bunch of stitches. On my to-do list was a trip to Vancouver for a meeting downtown. I wasn't so sure about how useful the meeting was going to be (I think meetings are usually redundant wastes of time), but I always enjoy a trip on a float plane. I got to ride in the right-hand seat for both departing and return trips, and it turned out to be a very useful meeting after all. I even resisted buying a dress I didn't need from the shopping mall next door. In all, it was a good day.

As much as I enjoyed the trip, I was happy to return to the Island. Friday was Canada Day, and therefore I had the day off. We went out to enjoy a walk  in Englishman River Regional Park. This is place is much more my style:

I like going there, but the only problem is that it's a long enough walk that I'm usually starving by the end of it. Luckily, we weren't too far from Coombs, where we could enjoy some lunch at Old Country Market, famous for their goats grazing on the roof. I was so hungry by the time we got there that I kinda wanted to climb up and munch along with them. Good thing (for them) I'm a terrible climber:

I planned on going to the gym on Saturday morning, but I woke up feeling like the bed was not going to let me go. My foot was aching a bit, as well. I'm trying to learn the mantra, "You don't get better when you're in the gym. You get better when you RECOVER from what you do in the gym." So, I got up, did some foam rolling, and then made myself a batch of toasted coconut butter:

I made enough to fill that jar, with a tiny bit extra to fill a wee bowl, just perfect for a little snack:

I figured I'd need it, because I was heading to the annual Mikone Vintage Market with a friend. It was exciting: neither of us had been before, and it sure lived up to my expectations. For a mere $2.00 entrance fee, we got plenty of joy of wandering around looking at all the cool old stuff. It was a perfect day for it: sunny, with a beautiful cool breeze:

There were a couple of vendors I was watching for, including Ruth and Nelly, owned by a lady who makes beautiful things out of used fabrics. I was lucky enough to bring home this pretty clutch bag, made from a leather skirt and a vintage needle point, and lined on the inside as well. I am always amazed by people who can sew with precision - it's extremely well-made, perfect to carry a tablet, your phone, and your wallet... and maybe some snacks. Snacks are important:

And, of course, I started the Tour de Fleece on Saturday as well. I'm usually so crap at getting organized for these kinds of commitments. I had planned to finally finish off a bag of combed top that I'd started a couple of years ago, but I 'm ashamed to say that it had been so long that I didn't recognize it when I pulled it out of the cupboard. I guess that means I should be spinning more. I thought I'd just do ten minutes and put it away, but I ended up spinning for a good chunk of the evening, as well as for part of this afternoon. That spindle at the top of the photo is full, but don't be too impressed: it was about three-quarters full when I found it. Speedy spindler, I am not:

It felt good to be spinning again. I'm enjoying the sheepy smell on my fingers, and it's like riding a bike: I thought I'd forgotten how to do it, but after a few inch-worm attempts, I'm slowly getting back into it. I'm spinning this "on the fold" and trying to get back into a long draw technique. I hope I can at least finish this bag. That would be a major accomplishment...

... as would figuring out what to do with this guy. This could be a very interesting summer...